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Type-00 Takemikazuchi
The Type-00 Takemikazuchi (Japanese name: 00式 武御雷) is a high-performance Japanese 3rd generation Tactical Surface Fighter produced for the Imperial Royal Guard, and is intended to serve as the means at which the Royal Guards can continue to hold their position of superiority over the rank-and-file, as well as to allow them to take the lead in battles as befitting their status as nobility. History Intended by the Royal Guards to replace the aging Type-82 Zuikaku, the Type-00 is by far the strongest unit fielded by the Japanese, with a heavy emphasis placed on close-quarters combat and superior maneuverability. Surpassing the Type-94 Shiranui in performance by a fair margin, the Type-00 is only matched by a select few other TSFs, and as befitting of a close-quarters unit, a highly resilent machine. The Type-00 has various parts of its body weaponized for close-quarters contact, including its head crest, fingertips, legs, and the inclusion of bladed weapons mounted in its arms, proof of a great deal of design influence from Soviet and European TSFs. Its feet structure is different from previous Japanese TSFs, utilizing a new zygodactyly design that manages to retain the sole spikes of the Type-94 and Type-97 Fubuki. Development of the Type-00 began in 1991, when the Royal Guard issued a need and demand for a replacement for the Type-82 to prevent their combat power from falling behind that of the Imperial Army, which was at that time developing the TSF-X that would later become the Type-94 Shiranui. In 1992, the Asuka Program began as the Royal Guard started development of their own TSF type; much of the TSF-X's internal frame design was re-used to reduce the time spent on research, with the main focus being on improving the close-quarters combat capability of the new TSF by incorporating super-carbon weaponry into its frame. Concerns about the new TSF's usability, maintainability, and cost were quashed by the Royal Guard, on the basis that their pilots were of an elite group, and their operations focused on the defense of the Japanese mainland, making logistics support a far smaller concern. The first prototypes, the Type-98X series, were completed in 1998, and plans were drafted and set into motion for the mass-production of the various Type-00 variants; this continued through the fall of Japan and its retaking after Operation Lucifer in 1999 until 2000, when the Type-00 entered actual combat deployment. The Imperial Army had also considered adopting the Type-00, but the high cost per machine and slow production rate forced them to abandon the plan in favor of keeping and maintaining the older Type-94; at average, only 30 Type-00s can be produced a year. The Type-00 series also have very specific maintanence requirements, and even the least of their components are expensive and hard to procure in acceptable numbers. However, this is offset by the quality of the construction, which allows the Type-00 to operate for longer periods of time with a shorter and/or tighter maintainence schedule. Deployment The Type-00 has seen little use outside of Royal Guard operations due to their exclusive nature; normal pilots are unable to pilot a Type-00 unless in an emergency or are given permission by the Type-00's pilot. Failure for a non-Royal Guard pilot to heed these rules is seen as a harsh breach of conduct. Several variants of the Type-00 are currently in deployment, and their type can be determined by their eye-catching color schemes. While the colors may seem flamboyant, all camouflage schemes so far have failed to work on the BETA, and the bright colors of the Type-00 series serve as important rank-based visual cues for allied pilots and commanders during the hectic nature of close-quarters combat. Because of the low procurement rate of the Type-00, most if not all of the units produced are assigned to the 16th Guard Battalion and the 19th Independent Guard Flight. At least one known Type-00F was also granted to the Royal Guard's White Fang Squadron as TSFs for use in weapons development and testing. Major engagements involving the Type-00 included combat in Miho Bay on May 26th, 2000, where a flight of Type-00s attempted to stall the BETA advance to allow Imperial Army troops to retreat. Another event was the 12/5 Incident, where the 19th Independent Guard Flight engaged Captain Sagiri Naoya's forces in combat in order to protect the Shogun. Type-00s of the Royal Guard's 16th Guard Battalion later engaged BETA forces in support of Whiskey Unit and Cracker Platoon during Operation 21st, and the 19th Independent Guard Flight was part of the defending force during the Defence of Yokohama Base. Type-00s were deployed as Hive infiltration units during Operation Ouka, with the Royal Guard's strongest machine proving itself in Hive combat conditions that even veterans dread. Their success resulted in the eventual approval of a detachment of Type-00s to be sent to Siberia in 2002 for cold-weather testing under the authority of the United Nations, allowing the world to see the Type-00 in action. The deployment of the First Independent Northern Squadron indicated the rising presence of the Royal Guard in the world, as the powerful close-quarters anti-BETA abilities of the Type-00 attracted the attention of many nations; chief among them those who wished to secure G-Elements in untaken Hives. Type-98X The designation given to all Type-00 prototypes, the Type-98X is likewise split into four variants; the Type-98XR, Type-98XF, Type-98XA, and Type-98XC. In response to a request by Takatsukasa Kyoko, and upon the orders of the Shogun during the Defense of Kyoto, one unit of each type, initially bound for transfer to the rear lines, were sortied in a rescue operation to find and retrieve Takamura Yui, Yamashiro Kazusa and Noto Izumi when their situation was made known to commanding authority. Kyoko heself located Yui in the end, when she, in the Type-98XR, found and destroyed a swarm of Tank-class BETA with only a Type-74 PB Blade and a Type-87 Assault Cannon. The deployment of the prototypes not only proved the Type-98's capability for melee and close-ranged combat, but also served as a source of morale for the hard-pressed Japanese troops when news of its deployment was made known. Type-00R Type-00R, accompanied by her flight members in Type-00Fs.]]The Type-00R, usually colored purple or blue, is a machine crafted for exclusive use by the Shogunate and the immediate five royal families serving under the Shogun's command, with the highest possible performance of the Type-00 series. Purple denotes direct relations to the Shogun, while blue denotes a relation to the five ruling families; thus, the Type-00R can be considered the base variant of the Type-00 series. ''Alternative'' One purple Type-00R was delivered to the UN's Yokohama Base in 2001, a gift from the Shogun to Mitsurugi Meiya, then a cadet and trainee pilot stationed there. As the Shogun's personal TSF, that particular Type-00R was tuned for maximum combat effectiveness, and even included a biometric identification unit to prevent unauthorized boarding; it could be truly considered a customized unit in every aspect. However, it did not see actual combat action until Operation Ouka. At least two Type-00Rs in blue were known to have seen operation; one was used by Takatsukasa Kyoko of the Regent House of Takatsukasa, commanding the 3th Guard Battalion during a skirmish in Miho Bay on May 26th, 2000; it was later destroyed in combat. Another was fielded by Ikaruga Takatsugu from the Regent House of Ikaruga, who used it to great effect during Operation 21st as a commander of the 16th Guard Battalion. Compared to the Shogun's Type-00R, the blue Type-00R represents the actual variant, which uses a small number of common parts with other variants of the Type-00 series to reduce already sky-high manufacturing costs. Unlike the Type-00F/-00A/-00C, the Type-00R's multiple sensors are hidden by black-tinted covers, leaving two transparent portions that easily give the TSF the appearance of having two "eyes". ''Unlimited/The Day After'' While the Shogun's Type-00R was delivered to Yokohama Base, the untimely deactivation of Alternative IV resulted in none of the events in Alternative happening. What became of that Type-00R currently remains unknown. Type-00F The Type-00F, a variant painted in red or yellow, is used by distinguished commanders and/or bodyguards for royalty in the Type-00R. The parts used in the Type-00F are less exclusive than the Type-00R for ease of repair and production, resulting in a weaker TSF compared to the Type-00R. Most Royal Guard pilots assigned a Type-00F are hereditary vassals of prominent samurai families. ''Alternative'' The earliest known combat seen by the Type-00F would be piloted by fudai pilots serving alongside Kyoko Takatsukasa's own Type-00R during combat in Miho Bay on May 26th, 2000. Makabe Seijyurou, a Royal Guard pilot sent to Europe for training, was also eventually assigned his own red Type-00F, which he used to lead his assigned unit, the Wolf Battalion, from the front. Type-00F destroying an Imperial Army Type-94.]]The most recognizable Type-00F pilot is Tsukyomi Mana, a bodyguard for the Shogun assigned to keep watch over Meiya; as the leader of the 19th Independent Guard Flight she would use her Type-00F against insurgent forces during the 12/5 Incident, fight against BETA as part of the 16th Guard Battalion in Operation 21st and participate again as the 19th Independent Guard Flight's commander during the Defence of Yokohama Base. Her machine was later passed to Sakaki Chizuru for Operation Ouka, where it also served as a command unit for the remaining members of the Special Task Force A-01. In 2002, a Type-00F piloted by Captain Fujiwara Kanae, leading the First Northern Independent Squadron, was deployed to Siberia to test cold-weather modifications and performance capabilities of XM3-equipped TSFs. Improvements include a layer of coating protection applied to the main sensor systems to prevent damage to sensitive components, and to the joints and carbonic actuators to prevent them from losing their elasticity and flexibility in sub-zero temperatures. Heat-recycling components were also installed into the TSF's fuel and drive systems. Total Eclipse (Novelization) engaging Yui's Type-00F.]]Lieutenant Takamura Yui, a Royal Guard pilot from the White Fang Squadron who was sent to Project PROMINENCE as a Japanese liasion, was assigned a yellow Type-00F as her personal machine sometime before she arrived on Yukon Base sometime during the month of May, 2000. She intially used it to attack Yuuya Bridges in his Shiranui Second Phase 1 during one of the latter's test combat scenarios, after which the Type-00F did not see action again until the Yukon Base Incident. Yui used her Type-00F to defeat terrorist F-16s and MiG-29s, and eventually defeated Major Christopher and his MiG-29OVT. She later used her Type-00F to engage BETA headed for the Red Shift line, and fought against the Su-37UB when the Scarlet Twins went berserk; the Type-00F suffered heavy damage in the ensuing combat. Total Eclipse (Anime) Most of the events that Yui's Type-00F went through remain the same, except that she did not cross blades with Christopher even once. Later on, she would use her Type-00F to engage the Scarlet Twins in their Su-47 Berkut, in an attempt to prevent them from attacking Yuuya Bridges. That course of action proved futile and resulted in the Type-00F suffering critical damage, before it was rendered combat-ineffective due to its Jump Units running out of fuel. ''Unlimited/The Day After'' While Mana did bring her Type-00F with her to Yokohama Base, it was not used during her tenure there as the commander of the 19th Flight; what became of it remains unknown. In The Day After 02, a Type-00F operated by Tsukuyomi Maya participated in the 8th Border War between the US/Japan and French/Canadian forces, arriving at the last moment to save Tatsunami Hibiki from being killed by radical French forces. Type-00A The white Type-00A is a variant fielded by officers either serving under a higher commander or in charge of a smaller combat unit; their combat performance is another step down from the Type-00F for ease of repair and/or production. ''Alternative'' Three units are known to be used by Ebisu Minagi, Kamiyo Tatsumi, and Tomoe Yukino, officers serving under Mana Tsukuyomi, during the 12/5 Incident, Operation 21st and the Defence of Yokohama Base, and were later passed on to Tamase Miki, Yoroi Mikoto, and Ayamine Kei during Operation Ouka. Four units were later seen with unamed pilots as part of Makabe Seijyurou's Wolf ''Battalion. ''Unlimited/The Day After Although present at Yokohama Base as TSFs of the 19th Independent Flight, the Type-00As of Minagi, Tatsumi and Yukino did not see combat action during that time period. In The Day After 02, Minagi, Tatsumi and Yukino return as Royal Guard pilots, once again piloting their Type-00As. Type-00C The grey Type-00C is the last and lowest-performing Type-00 variant; the Type-00C is designed with a simplified head sensor mast and its mechanical joints experience a 30% drop in performance compared to the Type-00A, although they still have 20% higher engine output and 60% joint strength/durability increase over the Type-94. The Type-00C is used by normal pilots serving the Royal Guard; the 16th Guard Battalion, in particular, saw action during the 12/5 Incident and Operation 21st. A group of Type-00Cs are later deployed as part of the First Independent Northern Squadron, and are modified with cold-resistant systems and XM3 to explore the possibility of exporting the Type-00 for outsiders. Improvements to that batch of Type-00Cs include a layer of coating protection applied to the main sensor systems to prevent damage to sensitive components, and to the joints and carbonic actuators to prevent them from losing their elasticity and flexibility to sub-zero temperatures. Heat-recycling components were also installed into the TSFs' fuel and drive systems. Trivia *Despite the Shogun's Type-00R being the "featured unit" of Muv-Luv Unlimited/Alternative, and its appearance in a great deal of promotional material, its on-screen time in the visual novels, compared to the Fubuki and the Shiranui, is the least. *The Takemikazuchi shares its name with a patron deity of military and war arts; the deity's tales are told in the Kojiki ''literature collection of Japanese Shintoism and the deity is enshrined in the Kashima Shrine. According to legend, the deity was born from the blood that stained the sword used by Izanagi to kill Kagutsuchi. *The Type-00 currently has no aircraft in the real-world as its design basis. It is instead visually closer to several different mecha; the two that stand out the most are Eva Unit 01 of Neon Genesis Evangelion fame and Detonator Orgun. The most striking similarities are the front horn and faceplate design for the former, and the design of the rear twin headfins, shoulder blocks and deployment method of its Retractable Daggers for the latter. *Within the Muv-Luv fanbase, the Type-00, especially the R-variant, is considered one of the "Big Three" late-3th generation TSFs because of its power, alongside the F-22A Raptor and the Su-47 Berkut. *Several nicknames for it include ''Takemi, Takemika and Takemysushi. *The Type-00R Shogun variant made a cameo in Ayu-Mayu Gekijou when it crashed onto the middle of the street from out of nowhere, causing Daikuuji Ayu to stop her car suddenly, resulting in a traffic pile-up accident. Appearances Takemi spriteset blue 1.png|Type-00R as it appears in Alternative and subsequent games. Takemi spriteset grey 1.png|Type-00C as it appears in Alternative and subsequent games. Takemi spriteset purple1.png|Type-00R (Shogun) as it appears in Alternative and subsequent games. Takemi spriteset red 1.png|Type-00F as it appears in Alternative and subsequent games. Takemi spriteset white 1.png|Type-00A as it appears in Alternative and subsequent games. Type-00 Takemikazuchi yellow anime ver.png|Type-00F in fudai colors, as it appears in the Muv-Luv Alternative Total Eclipse anime. Lineart Takemi concept.jpg|Type-00 Takemikazuchi concept art. Type-00A.jpg|Takemikazuchi Type-00A. Type-00C.jpg|Takemikazuchi Type-00C. Type-00CUN.jpg|Takemikazuchi Type-00C (UN Colors). Type-00F.jpg|Takemikazuchi Type-00F (Samurai Colors) Type-00FUN.jpg|Takemikazuchi Type-00F (UN Colors). Type-00FYui.jpg|Takemikazuchi Type-00F (Fudai colors). Type-00Rline.jpg|Takemikazuchi Type-00R (Shogun Colors). VLCpic-Murder God Face.jpg|Type-00R head unit. Gallery 029.jpg|A Type-00A in high-speed close-quarters combat with one of its Retractable Daggers deployed. 1302653947984.png|A Type-00R and a Type-00A engaged in combat. 5 seconds of fame.png|A Type-00F being engaged by two MiG-29s. Armor lock.jpg|A Type-00A in unarmed combat stance. Hand-to-hand.JPG|A Type-00F's super carbon fingertips and reinforced internal structure at work. Konachan.com - 80834 jpeg artifacts mecha muv-luv sky snow sword weapon.jpg|A contingent of Type-00s around a traditional Japanese residence. Konachan.com - 80835 gun jpeg artifacts mecha muv-luv sky weapon.jpg|A Type-00R during a boosted jump, accompanied by the XG-70d and another Type-00A/-00F. Untitled (2).png|A Type-00F destroying an IJMDF Type-94 Shiranui. Hetare kawaii.png|A Type-00R flanked by two Type-00Fs. Ador 24.jpg|A Type-00F leading a Royal Guard unit. Carbon friction.png|Yui's Type-00F blocking a blow from a Grappler-class. superfluous posturing.png|A Type-00F in sword stance. Category:TSF Category:Total Eclipse Category:Unlimited Category:Alternative Category:The Euro Front Category:The Day After Category:Succession Category:Faraway Dawn Category:TSFIA